Imperia (car)
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The Imperia was a Belgian automobile manufactured from 1906 until 1948. Products of the Ateliers Piedboeuf of Liège, the first cars were designed by the German Paul Henze. These were fours of 3, 4.9, and 9.9 liters. The next year, the company moved to Nessonvaux, and began production in the old Pieper factory. Impéria produced a monobloc 12 hp (8.9 kW) in 1909; in 1910 the company merged with Springuel.
The Nessonvaux factory began producing Imperia-Abadels from about 1916; in 1921, it built three ohc 5·6-liter straight-eights. These were quickly replaced by an ephemeral ohc 3-liter 32-valve four which was capable of going 90 mph (140 km/h). This was followed by an 1100 cc side-valve 11/22 hp four designed by Couchard, one of the first cars ever built with a sunroof. Its engine rotated counter-clockwise, and its transmission brake also served as a servo for those on the front wheels. In 1937 a six of 1624 cc appeared; this had been available in three-carburettor Super Sports form from 1930. Over the course of four years Imperia took over three other Belgian car manufacturers: Métallurgique (1927), Excelsior (1929), and Nagant (1931). From 1934 until the company folded it built mainly front-wheel-drive Adlers with Belgian-made coachwork. The company merged with Minerva in 1934, but they split in 1939. After 1948 Impéria assembled Adlers and Standard Vanguards under license. After Standard decided to set up a new factory in Belgium, the factory was left without work and had to close doors in 1957.
In addition to its production in Belgium, Impéria made a number of cars in Great Britain; these were assembled at a factory in Maidenhead.
[edit] References
- David Burgess Wise, The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Automobile
